Often, web based applications need to send documents to users. Typically, documents are sent via email and/or web download. Occasionally, web based application servers cause fax transmissions to occur. However, these server initiated fax transmissions suffer from certain drawbacks.
First, these fax transmissions appear to come from a central source (i.e., a fax number associated with the application server). However, if the server is providing a web based application used by multiple different companies, each of these companies may want their fax transmissions to appear to come from their company with their specific set of assigned phone numbers (e.g., the fax transmissions may be going to customers of the company).
Second, transmission charges associated with web based fax transmission are incurred by the company that owns the application server. This then creates additional overhead for the application server company and/or a billing burden for the application server company trying to recover these fax transmission fees.